/zn,c 


*4  O1  No-  40. 


THE  ROWERS  COLLECTION 
THE 

SINNER  AND  THE  SAVIOUR. 


In  a  short  time,  and  perhaps  very  unexpectedly,  you  will 
be  in  eternity.  Your  opportunities  and  privileges  fly  with 
your  moments,  your  account  is  fast  tilling  up  for  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  soon  your  everlasting  destiny  will  be  decided. 

You  are  conscious  that  you  are  a  sinner  against  God.  You 
have    been  /,  in  rendering  no  proper  return    for  his 

unceasing  mercies  ;  selfish,  in  disregarding  his  glory,  and  seek- 
ing your  own  interests;  selfttoilled  and  obstinate,  in  casting  off 
his  restraints,  and  persisting  in  way;  proud,  in  over- 

valuing your  supposed  good  qualities;  vain,  in  seeking  the 
approbation  of  men  rather  than  God;  rebellious,  in  resisting 
his  rightful  authority,  and  disobeying  his  most  reasonable 
commands  ;  unbelieving,  in  neglecting  his  most  gracious  prom- 
ises and  solemn  warnings  ;  and  wieked,  in  stifling  the  admo- 
nitions of  conscience,  and  deferring  known  and  acknowledged 
duty.  You  have  sinned  against  God  the  Father,  by  withhold- 
ing your  heart  from  him,  and  by  contemning  his  wisdom  and 
mercy,  which  devised  the  gospel  as  the  only  method  of  re- 
storing you  to  his  favor;  you  have  sinned  against  God  the 
Son,  by  denying  your  sinful  and  lost  condition,  and  neglecting 
the  pardon  purchased  with  his  blood  :  you  have  sinned  against 
God  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  resisting  him  when  he  has  brought 
reclaiming  influences  to  bear  on  your  soul.  Acts  7  :  51.  Bad 
you  never  committed  a  sin  against  your  fellow-men,  your  ever- 
lasting condemnation  would  be  just;  but  the  guilt  of  a  self- 
murderer  is  also  upon  you,  you  have  destroyed  your  own  soul. 
Hos.  13  :  0 ;  and  you  have  encouraged  others  in  sin,  which 
may  finally  insure  their  ruin. 

It  can  be  no  excuse  of  your  course  to  say  you  have  been 
sincere  :  sincerity  is  not  the  test  of  rectitude  :  "  There  is  a  way 
that  seemeth  right  unto  a  man,  but  the  end  thereof  are  the 
ways  of  death/'  Prov.  14:  12.  You  cannot  plead  that  con- 
science has  not  condemned  you ;  for  by  constant  sinning  you 

'  T"70ilt  I 


2 


may  have  perverted  and  hardened  it.  You  cannot  hope  that 
God  will  be  indifferent  to  your  sin;  he  is  "jealous"  for  his 
law,  and  by  his  word  and  providence  has  declared  his  oppo- 
sition in  terms  that  should  make  every  transgressor  tremble. 
If  you  rely  on  a  vague  expectation  of  the  general  mercy  of 
God,  your  hope  must  perish  ;  he  has  no  mercy  independent 
of  that  which  he  exercises  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  those  who 
repent  and  believe  the  gospel.  If  you  turn  to  the  promise  of 
future  repentance,  it  must  prove  delusive;  for  if  now,  under 
clear  conviction  and  the  most  pressing  motives,  while  the  heart 
is  susceptible,  you  are  unwilling  to  repent,  much  more  will 
you  be  when,  by  practice  in  sin,  convictions  are  stifled,  mo- 
tives impaired,  and  the  heart  has  grown  hard.  If  you  trust 
to  your  morality,  its  outward  and  partial  duties  cannot  answer 
the  demands  of  a  law  which  is  "  exceeding  broad  "  and  spir- 
itual ;  nor  can  present  o&rapj^ice,  even  if  it  were  perfect,  atone 
for  sins  that  are  past.  Ifyou  expect  that  at  death  some 
change  will  be  produced  in-  your  moral  character,  by  which 
you  may  be  saved,  you  are  fearfully  deceived:  he  that  is  then 
unjust,  shall  be  unjust  still ;  and  he  that  is  filthy,  shall  be 
filthy  still.     Kev.  22:  11. 

You  are  then  condemned,  nor  can  you  derive  from  your- 
self or  your  fellow-men  the  least  hope  of  deliverance.  Ifyou 
are  ever  saved,  it  must  be  by  the  unmerited  mercy  of  God,  so 
exercised  that  his  justice,  holiness,  and  truth  shall  remain  un* 
impeached,  the  anthority  of  his  law  be  maintained  and  a  tho- 
rough and  radical  change  produced  in   your  moral  character. 

Such  a  plan  of  salvation  the  wisdom  of  God  has  devised. 
And  from  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ  the  invitation  is  directed 
to  you,  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  saved." 

lie  is  a  Saviour  in  every  respect  suited  to  your  ease.  He  has 
removed  all  legal  obstacles  to  your  pardon,  and  yet  upheld 
and  magnified  the  law.  He  has  glorified  the  attributes  of 
God,  and  yet  can  offer  mercy  most  freely  to  all  who  will  re- 
ceive it.  He  has  every  qualification  to  invite  your  confi- 
dence and  enlist  your  affection.  "  It  pleased  the  Father  that 
in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell." 

He  is  full  of  merit  to  justify.  However  numerous  and  ag- 
gravated your  sins,  on  the  ground  of  his  ''everlasting  right- 
eousness" you  may  be  pardoned  and  restored. 


He  is  full  of  grace  to  sanctify.  :i  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  f^on  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin. "  1  Jol^n,  1 :  7. 
and  his  word  can  make  you  clean.  1  Pet.  1  :  22.  Wai<  i 
to  make  yourself  better,  and  then  come  to  Christ  with  your 
imperfect  goodness  as  the  price  of  acceptance;  come  as  you 
are  ;  he  will  make  you  better,  and  render  you  acceptable  in 
your  Father's  sight 

He  is  full  of  compassion.  He  came  to  save  sinners,  and  says 
"Him  that  cometh  tome  I  will  in  nowise  cast  out.'''  Johnti: 

He  is  full  of  sympathy;   fcfe  knows  experimentally  the  wants, 
woes,  trials,  and  temptations  of  men  ;  and  his  call  is,   "  Coi 
unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  trivc 
you  rest."     Matt.  11  :  28, 

"  All  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  "  is  given  him,  to  pro- 
tect and  uphold  his  people.  Matt.  28  :  18.  If  you  are  fearful 
that  you  cannot  hold  out,  he  can  keep  you.  John  10:  27-29. 
"He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost,  who  come  unto 
God  by  him."     Ileb.  7 :  25. 

He  is  full  of  wisdom.  The  past,  the  present,  the  future  are 
open  to  his  eye.  He  will  keep  you  from  the  paths  of  the  de- 
stroyer, and  guide  your  doubting  footsteps  into  the  ways  of 
safety  and  peace. 

He  is  full  of  glory  to  croym.  lie  will  recognize  vou  as  his 
own  in  this  world,  wili  guard  you  from  the  snares  of  prosperi- 
ty, will  irradiate  the  dark  hours  of  adversity  with  his  presence, 
wiil  convert  your  last  conflict  into  a  scene  of  victorv,  and  r:i 
you  to  his  Father's  house,  to  reign  as  king  and  priest  with  him 
for  ever.     Rev.  1 :  6. 

He  will  be  made  wisdom  tor  your  FgnorAnae,  riirhteou^ 
lor  your  guilt,  sanctification  lor  your  pollution,  and  redemp- 
tion for  your  ruin.     Will  you  accept  him  as  vour  Saviour? 
Then  make  and  seal,  with  your  heart  and  hand,  such  an  en- 
gagement as  the  following  : 

."In  view  of  my  sins,  most  unreasonable  and  wicked, 
committed  against  God  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit,  I  profess  my  sincere  sorrow,  and  my  linn  determina- 
tion to  forsake  them  heartily  and  for  ever.  '  I  now  receive  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  my  Saviour.  Disclaiming  all  reliance 
on  my  good  deeds,  I  trust  aione  to  his  atonement  for  pardon. 
Conscious  of  my  ignorance,  I  receive  him  as  mv  instructor, 
and  bind  myself  to  follow  him ;  and  acknowledging  and  re- 


Bouncing  my  past  rebellion,  I  receive  him  as  my  Master  and 
Lord,  submitting  my  will  cheerfully  to  his  and  consecrating 
myself  and  all  to  his  service  for  ever." 

Make  such  a  consecration  as  this  from  the  heart,  and  you 
shall  live.  The  Redeemer  will  accept  of  no  service  short  of 
this.  Why  will  you  die  ?  Ever  will  you  wander  in  darkness 
till  you  turn  your  steps  to  Christ.  Many  have  resorted  to  him 
and  been  saved.  Hear  the  experience  of  one.  Oowper,  the 
celebrated  Christian  poet,  at  one  period  of  his  hrstory,  was 
driven  by  a  consciousness  of  guilt  to  the  verge  of  despair;  at 
length  he  opened  tfie  Bible  and  read,  "Christ  Jesus  God  hath 
set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  for  sin,  through  faith  in  his  blood, 
to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
past,  through  the  forbearance  of  God. ;;  Rom.  3  :  25.  "Im- 
mediately/' he  says,  "  I  received  strength  to'believe,  and  the 
full  beams  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness  shone  upon  me.  I  saw 
the  sufficiency  ot  the  atonement  he  had  made  for  my  pardon 
and  complete  justification,  Unless  the  almighty  arm  had  been 
ander  me,  I  think  T  should  have  been  overwhelmed  with  grati- 
tude and  joy.  My  eyes  tilled  with  tears,  and  my  voice  choked 
with  transport ;  I  could  only  look  up  to  heaven  in  silent  fear, 
overwhelmed  with  love  and  wonder.  I  lost  no  opportunity 
of  repairing  to  the  throne  of  grace,  but  flew  to  it  with  an  earn- 
estness irresistible  and  never  to  be  satisfied,  ©ould  J  help  it  ?. 
The  Lord  had  enlarged  my  heart,  and  I  could  now  cheerfully 
run  in  the  ways  of  his  commandments."  It  was  in  such  a 
state  of  mind  that  he  composed  this  sweet  hymn  ;  amd  may- 
God  give  you  grace  to  adopt  it  as  the  language  of  your  own 
heart. 

Kiere  is  a  fountain  tilled  with  blood  Till  all  the  ransomed  ^mirci 

Drawn  from  lmmanuel's  veins ;      Be  saved  to  sin  no  d 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneatli'th&t 

lioud.  E'er  since  by  faith  I  saw  the.  stream 

Lose  all  their  guilty  .stains.  Thy  flowing  wounds  supply,  ' 

Redeeminglove  has  been  my  theme 
The  -  see  And  shall  be  till  I  die. 

That  fountain  in  his  •' 
And  there  tun  .  Then  in  anobler,  swe 

Wash  all  my  guilt  away.  I'll  sing  thy  power  to  save. 

When  this  poor  lisping,  stani'ring 
Dear  dying    Lamb,  thv  tongue 

blood  "  Lies  silent  in  the  grs 

Shall  never  lose  its  power, 


Hollinger  Corp. 
PH  8.5 


